Godless Americans: "Safe Harbor for Churches" ALERT

[BurtWorm]

Speaker of the House, Republican Dennis Hastert and several
Republican sponsors, have introduced a section to the 'American Job
Creation Act of 2004' that would allow churches to violate election
laws three times a year without penalty. We urge you to alert your
representative to this development since the Jobs act is large and
this provision was rushed in recently.

There is no question that the section was inserted after an e-mail
to several churches soliciting support for Bush's reelection bid was
made public, causing an uproar over the legality of churches
supporting specific candidates. In addition, there's little doubt
in my mind that the rush to suspend the rules was motivated by a
poll indicating that people who attend church regularly and
frequently are most likely to vote Republican. There appears to be
no similar relaxation of the rules for American Atheists, Freedom
From Religion Foundation, Planned Parenthood or other 501c3
organizations.

You may read an article about this in the Washington Post -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26244-2004Jun8.html

We've made it easy for you to inform your representative by going to
Take Action - http://www.capwiz.com/godlessamericans/home/

Jeff Lewis

Political Director

www.godlessamericans.org

[PartyPooper]

1. If Jesus is a liberal, how could God be a Republican?

Get the fucking church out of government!

:grr:

[lapauvre]

2. Actually, at this moment

I need the help of a Republican Congressman and a Democratic SEnator to save my life. I will jump through the required hoops, once again, and hope I can kiss enough donkey to survive.

If it doesn't work out, it will make the news, I promise you.

[WMliberal]

3. notifying my rep would be counterproductive

He's as right wing as you can get... I wouldn't be surprised if he was one of the "several sponsors."

[coda]

4. Southern Baptist's, Richard Land says "Thanks, but no thanks."

But only because it doesn't go far enough.




Land: House 'Safe Harbor' proposal infringes on free speech
Jun 10, 2004
By Tom Strode


WASHINGTON (BP)--Legislation classified as a protection for the free-speech rights of churches not only is “woefully inadequate” but “dangerous,” Southern Baptist church-state specialist Richard Land told Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert in a June 9 letter.

Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, thanked Hastert for his attempt to protect the rights of churches but said the ERLC “must oppose” a provision titled Safe Harbor for Churches.


<snip>


The result of the legislation would not be a safe harbor but “an unacceptable intrusion of the IRS into the business of a church,” Land told Hastert.


<snip>


The language also fails to restore free-speech rights “stolen from churches” when Congress adopted in 1954 a measure to bar tax-exempt organizations such as churches from participation or intervention on behalf of any candidate in an election campaign, Land told Hastert. That 50-year-old law has had a “chilling effect” on churches and preachers, he said.



more.......

http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?ID=18447

[BurtWorm]

5. kick

[jbfam4]

6. the one below doesn't work

We've made it easy for you to inform your representative by going to
Take Action - http://www.capwiz.com/godlessamericans/home

[BurtWorm]

7. Try this one.

http://capwiz.com/godlessamericans